


Beyond the Sea

by Symone_Nicole



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: AU, I suck at tags, M/M, Soul Bond AU, i suck at summaries, more characters and possible relationships to be added later, new earth Jackson Hyde
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-12-16 02:09:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11819016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Symone_Nicole/pseuds/Symone_Nicole
Summary: Atlanteans are born with a bond mark of their soul mates names, and there are times when their supposed soul mate isn't Atlantean.





	Beyond the Sea

For as long as Dick Grayson could remember, the strange markings have always been low on his hips.  He remembers the countless nights, or evenings, of pure boredom when he was training, or out of simple curiosity when he would bend over, or stand in front of a mirror, and stare at the strange markings that have always been there.  They were neat, a bit paler than his normal skin tone, and he swore one time when his parents took him to the beach they glowed in the water.  They looked like hieroglyphics, but they weren’t.  He would stare at them endlessly trying to figure out what they could mean.  He’s seen blogs, forums, and heard people talk about birthmarks--saying that is how one died in their previous life, or what they were in their previous life.  He would listen and then go and look at his mark over and over, wondering about the possibilities.  He thought perhaps aliens were real and he was abducted, or maybe in a past life, he was an alien.  He thought of thousands of childish ideas, always entertaining them to his delight; however, none of them was the truth.  There was a special meaning to the mark on his body, a meaning he never thought of in his wildest dreams.

 

Bruce Wayne, his adoptive father, happened to the notice the mark on the nights they returned from patrolling his beloved Gotham.  He noticed in their sparring sessions whenever he flipped the young man he could see the mark glistening in the air as if he had scales.  He never commented on it, he thought it was a tattoo, and he certainly didn’t want to judge the life of carnies when he was preparing this young man to go out and fight Gotham’s worst.  

 

It wasn’t until he was much older after the establishment of the Justice League, and the Teen Titans.  It wasn’t until he met Aquaman, until he saw a fragment of Atlantean writing until he saw a similar looking mark on the King of Atlantis but this one wasn’t low on his hip, it was in the middle of his lower back.  He asked him about the mark low on his back, and Aquaman told him it was none of his concern.  Batman brought Robin to Justice League HQ, he instructed Robin to show Aquaman his mark.  The King of Atlantis gave Batman an odd look, and his eyes widen in surprise when he saw the Atlantean words on his hip.

 

“What does it mean,” Batman asked as he sent Robin away to go negotiate for the Teen Titans.

 

Aquaman slumped in his chair, “It’s a bond mark.”

 

“A bond mark?” Batman asked as he took a step forward, “a bond for what? To whom?”

 

Aquaman sighed as he held up his hand to prevent Batman from asking further questions. “In Atlantis, no, for my people when they are born they are born with a mark on their body.  That mark is the name of their soulmate.” 

 

“But Robin isn--”

 

“I’ve been told on the rare occasions when an Atlantean’s soulmate was not Atlantean.”

 

“That must be pretty nice to have your love life decided for you.”

 

Aquaman laughs, “we live for a long time.  Well, those of us who aren’t careless live for a long time.  We could be born knowing the name of our soulmate and not meet them for decades.  Sometimes they never meet their soulmate, they might marry someone else by the time they come along or are born.  Hell I haven’t met mine--”

 

“Aren’t you married?”

 

“Exactly,” Aquaman pauses thoughtfully. “What’s that Latin proverb? Ah!  _ Homo proponit, sed Deus disponit _ .”

 

“Do you know he's supposed,” he holds up his fingers making quotation marks, “soulmate.” 

 

Aquaman grimaces, “yes and no.” 

 

“Who is he?”

 

“Batman--”

 

“He’s my son, I should know.” 

  
  


“His name is Kaldur’ahm.  I know of him but I haven’t seen him since the day his mother gave him away to a human family.  His father is Black Manta.”

 

“I’m not liking this at all--”

 

“Kaldur’ahm is safe. I think.”

 

“You think?”

 

“I wasn’t with Kwalia when she gave Kaldur’ahm away, I was looking from afar.  However, I know the moment he steps foot into my sea I’m going to him.  I plan to take him under my wing.”

 

“So you’re telling me that there is this guy with Robin’s name on his body, you’ve never met him, and his father is Black Manta.”

 

“Well at least the name isn’t in English, nor it is ‘Robin’ but his birth name. If they were to ever meet and he saw it on the boy’s body Robin wouldn’t know it was his name.”

 

“Is he even around Robin’s age?”

 

“Two or three years older, give or take.” 

 

When Batman returned to the Batcave, Robin called him wanting to know the meaning of the mark on his body.  Batman lied--told him that it looks similar to their language but that it meant nothing.  Robin held back his disappointment.

 

**Silver City, New Mexico**

 

Jackson Hyde, a dark skin teen with dreads that come down to shoulders, sits on the beach with his old friend, leaning back on the beach towel as he looks curiously at the mark on his body, it stands out as just as much as the black stripes that wrap around his arm. 

 

“You ever think of what they could mean?” A soft, cute face of his close friend asks as he looks at Jackson with his honeyed eyes and brown hair. 

 

“Not really,” Jackson responded while watching his close friend trace the mark on his shoulder. “Averie,” his breath hitches as his fingers slide down his torso to his sex, grabbing it.  The two teen boys were on a secluded part of the beach, not seen by anyone else.

 

“What,” he acted innocently as he pulled out his hardening prize, “you and your girlfriend broke up again.  It means I can have some fun without you telling me no.”

  
  
  


Jackson and his girlfriend, well now ex-girlfriend, have always been on and off, she didn’t trust Jackson but she went back to him.  Jackson and Averie have always been close,  _ close _ , friends.  Averie is a heartthrob who will shamelessly go after what he wants, even if he is ‘dating’ someone else.  He’s the type that will always eat his cake and have it too, and he never gets enough of Jackson Hyde.  Averie never cares if Jackson and his girlfriend are back on, he will still flirt with him but Kaldur’ahm refuses to flirt back, to advance nor to give Averie a reason to chase.  Jackson’s girlfriend didn’t trust him, but he would never cheat on her. 

 

After finishing up their tryst, Jackson was cleaning up their evidence with a spare rag as Averie looked out to the sea in longing. “The waves look sick,” he stated fondly.

 

“Go out there then.”

 

“I wish you’d come with me,” Averie responded with his pleading eyes and pouting lips. “I know you’re afraid of the water.  You gotta know I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, Jackson.”

“Just go, Avie.  I like watching you surf.”  

 

He did, he always did while a part of him longed to be out there in the water right beside Averie. He was right behind the shorter male as he ran out into the waters with his board, and Jackson stayed ashore making sure that the water never reached towards his toes.  His family never told him why he shouldn’t go into the sea, he was always curious but he knew it was for his well-being, to keep him safe. 

 

Jackson eyes widen as he watches a strong wave takes Averie under, he steps forwards and halts at the sea water barely touching his toes. “Come on Averie, come on.” His eyes search relentlessly.  There was a reason why this part of the beach had only the two of them, because of the dangers of the rocks and there were no lifeguards. “Fuck,” Jackson stated as he started to strip out of his shirt, he looks at the water with great disdain, “I’m sorry,” he mutters as he runs into the water.  He didn’t even notice the glowing of the marks on his skin, nor feel the gills forming on his neck or the webbing between his fingers.  His main priority was Averie, he swam easily even though he never had lessons before--it all came naturally to him.  He found Averie, floating into the depths of the sea and when he reached him he found his friend unconscious. 

 

He carried Averie out of the water, laying him gently on the sand. “Come on Averie,” he muttered as he looked at him helplessly. He went to place his hands on him but another hand moved it out of the way.

 

“Let me handle this,” the man ordered as he opened Averie’s mouth.  Jackson looked up at the mystery man who smelt like the sea, he could see the gills on the side of his neck, and Jackson knew that he wasn’t human--he was Aquaman.  Jackson’s attention was pulled to Averie once again when he coughed up water but his eyes weren’t opening. 

 

“Is he going to be okay?”

 

“He’ll be fine,” Aquaman stated as he looked down at Jackson Hyde. “I put him to sleep so he wouldn’t see you.”

 

“Wouldn’t see me but he’s my friend,” he extended his arm and saw the soft glow of the mark on his arms, the webbing between his fingers, and his heart raced. “Wha-what--”

 

“There’s a lot I have to tell you, and a lot I have to teach you, Kaldur’ahm,” Aquaman stated as he picked up Ricky, throwing him over his shoulder as if he was a bag of flour. “We need to get him somewhere safe and then return to your family.”

 

After dropping Averie home, which Aquaman promised he will wake up soon, Jackson started driving towards his own home.

 

“Earlier, what did you call me?” He spoke up as he kept his eyes on the road.

 

“Kaldur’ahm, that’s the birth name Kwalia, your true mother, gave to you.”

 

“My true mother,” Jackson muttered but Aquaman could tell that the young Atlantean was connecting the dots. “So, what are you my true father or something?  Is that why my parents didn’t want me to go into the ocean--because you would find me?”

 

“Oh no.  I’m not your true father.  I’ve already fathered one bastard child.” Aquaman stated, “but your true father would have found you.  I just made sure to get to you first.” 

 

Jackson went quiet as he focused on the road. “You’re taking this a lot better than I expected,” Aquaman stated as he got comfortable in the small car. 

 

“It makes sense,” he mutters. “They told me to keep out of the water. I mean from the webbing and how natural it felt to be in the ocean.  I guess that makes me Atlantean, right?  And I guess my biological father is probably not a nice guy.”

 

“What makes you say that?”

 

“You told me… you said you had to be sure to get to me first.” 

 

“Your true father,” Aquaman sighed as his grip on his trident tightened.  Softly he spoke, “in time you’ll learn about him.”

 

Jackson put the car in park in front of his family home.  His father already standing outside wondering who was in the car with him.  He made his way to get out of the car but Aquaman’s grip was tight around his wrist. “Kaldur’ahm, you have extraordinary gifts and power.  Your true father will come after you and that will put everyone you care about in danger.”

  
  


Jackson sighed, “I already figured that out too.” He gave him a half smile as he stepped out of the car.  When Aquaman stepped out being careful with his trident his parents knew that their son was going to be taken away.  They didn’t want him to leave but they understood why they had to let him go.  Jackson didn’t want to leave but he knew that he couldn’t put the people he cared about in danger.  He promised that he will return to visit.  He regretted not being able to tell Averie goodbye. 

 

Kaldur’ahm trained, his teachers and Aquaman, and Mera was ruthless in his training.  He was a prodigy.  It took him weeks to learn what it took most Atlanteans his age years to master.  He was always practicing with his Hydrokinesis and Electrokinesis; he may have born in Atlantean but he wasn’t raised as one--which made him an outsider.  He made a couple of friends in his lessons that he could hang out with at times, but most of the time Kaldur’ahm spent it alone.  He also learned more than just how to control his powers or the mastery of the weapons.  

 

He learned about his culture, the sea life, Atlantean’s history, and most importantly the language.  He wasn’t going to get anywhere far without being able to speak the language.  Aquaman sat down and told him everything about his father, trying to keep his anger at bay to remain biased when telling about his history with Black Manta.  Kaldur’ahm also learned of the bound marks, he thought that it was insane--that a mark meant that he couldn’t love anyone else.  Aquaman assured him that even if he met the person of the name on his shoulder that didn’t mean they would be romantically together forever or at all.  Kaldur’ahm stared at the mark while looking back in the mirror--trying to decipher the name but he hadn’t learned the characters.  After talking to Mera, he learned that the Atlanteans had a different character system for words or names that origins were not Atlantean.  After finding a book to help decipher the name on the back of his shoulder, the only thing he had was ‘Daring Power.’ He believed he messed up and tried repeatedly but he came back with the same answer.  He gave up, believing that it was all pointless. 

**Author's Note:**

> I should be asleep but my mind was filled with of these two and this is the result.  
> I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and tune in for more when it is available.  
> Thanks for reading and feel free to comment leaving questions, comments, or feedback.
> 
> Sincerely,  
> Symone Nicole  
> P.S Sorry for the mistakes


End file.
